The Great Movie Musicals/The Films I love

I am going to start two new series here on the blog.  The first will be done randomly every so often and it will focus on the films that I consider to be great movie musicals.  This does not mean that they cannot be based on a stage musical, just that their transformation to film has to be something extraordinary and special.  Original film musicals will of course meet these demands as well.  The second series will be titled, The Films I love.  This series will hopefully be posted weekly and each week will feature a different film.  These films could be one or multiple things including films that I think are some of the greatest ever made, films that have had some kind of profound affect on me, films that I don't personally like all that much but are critically superior and thus make me as a film buff love them so, and of course the guilty pleasure films that I've loved since childhood.  I don't want this to be a pompous, look at my good taste series. Instead this series is going to be quite off the wall at times and may contain some unlikely choices for a "best films" list.  Today I am combining the two series together to talk about a film that I truly love for its vision and bold direction and for its musical aesthetic.  It is not only one of the greatest musicals I have ever seen, but also one of the best films I have ever seen.  It's name is Cabaret.

Cabaret is a film that I revisit often, perhaps once a year or so and each time I find it more and more fascinating. It refuses to fit itself into any particular genre whether it is a musical, political commentary, love story, or turbulent drama. It also defies convention by making its main character extremely unlikeable, but in the end you cant help but care for due to her childlike naivete. Cabaret is bold for its (at the time) frank depiction of a homosexual man caught in an unusual time and place in history. Bob Fosse's direction is spot on throughout the story and makes the wise choice to cut all songs out of the film that do not take place within the world of the Cabaret itself, save for one song - Tomorrow Belongs to Me. This number is both chilling and surprisingly relevant to what is happening in this very country today with the current administration and the rise of the Christian right. It successfully demonstrates how an entire country could be swept up by such nihilistic idealism. Liza Minnelli gives the performance of her career as sally and Joel Grey brings depth to the emcee who is mostly noted as a caricature in previous incarnations. His motives are the same - he commentates on events happening within the story - but here in this film he takes on eerie human qualities that set him apart from simply being the master of ceremonies. Still it is Michael York's often-overlooked performance as Brian that is the glue of the story. He provides warmth and true humanity in a setting where there is so little of both. For my money this is the best version of cabaret as all of its songs serve a direct purpose to the story and every plot point is distinct and fully developed. Cabaret has always been a strong story and it continually surprises people throughout the years because its relevance never dissipates - what happened could and probably will happen again.

Though much of Cabaret is a drama, that's not to say that the musical numbers are not spectacular.  On the contrary, they are some of the very best ever put on the screen.  And credit should be given to the legendary Bob Fosse who worked on Broadway for years as a dancer and choreographer before helming this picture.  Before Cabaret he directed the somewhat misguided but always stylish Sweet Charity.  It was a story that too had off color subject matter and frank depictions of human sexuality.  But it was a glitzy sixties movie with big dance numbers and stylized camera movements.  Cabaret is much more gritty and unattractive.  The Kit Kit Club (the cabaret itself) is not a homely place.  It is a dive filled with monstrous characters.  At the beginning of the film the Emcee invites us in exclaiming that "In here life is beautiful!", by the end of the story we see just how wrong he was.  Fosse's choreography and direction reflect this.  It's a realistic film with production numbers that don't try to rival Hollywood of old, but rather serve as a counterbalance to the human drama.  In time the numbers on stage become just as disturbing as whats happening in the world outside of the Cabaret.

Liza Minnelli is a brilliant singer and does her fare share of hoofing in this film as well, but it's her acting that really makes Sally a believable character.  This is not the heroine of your typical musical.   Sally is a drunk and a fiend.  She uses men to get by in life and by the end of the film she has completely destroyed herself and Brian.  When Minnelli has her onscreen breakdown after having the abortion and then minutes later is smiling and singing "life is a Cabaret ol' chum" you cant help but get a little sick to your stomach.  It's a disturbing performance because of how grounded in reality it is.  People have complained that Liza is too good of a singer and that there is no reason why Sally wouldn't be a star.  My argument would be that this Sally in particular is such a despicable person that she prevents herself from ever being a star.  She is on such a self destructive path and she simply doesn't know how to get off of the train.  Again it's a great performance and I would argue that it is more complex than Minnelli's mother, the great Judy Garland, ever did on screen.

What makes Cabaret such a unique film is that unlike most movie musicals adapted from stage musicals, it is a true ADAPTATION.  The film is very different from the play itself and I know many musical theater fans who despise the film because of it.  Bob Fosse's Cabaret is its own beast and I would argue that it is actually much better than the original production that hit Broadway.  It's two leads are much more fully realized and cinematically it gives Cabaret a scope on screen that it could never have had on the stage.  You really feel the rise of Nazism in the film version, whereas on stage it feels a little forced.  Tomorrow Belongs to Me is probably the film version of Cabaret's crowning achievement and the impact the song has on the stage version is quite minimal. I would like to see a film adaptation of the new revival version of Cabaret, because like Fosse's version it is a very different take on the story and it is even darker than the film.   

By taking out the superfluous numbers of the stage production and sticking to only the numbers that happen within the Cabaret, Fosse has concocted a dark commentary on Nazism, society, and show business. As a result he has given us one of the greatest musicals ever put on the screen.

Cabaret (1972)

Dir. Bob Fosse

124 Minutes

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Writing, Best Picture

Won 8 Academy Awards including Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music Score Adaptation, and Best Sound.

Note of Interest: This was the same year that The Godfather won best picture, but Francis Ford Coppola lost out on Best Director to Bob Fosse and Al Pacino lost out on Best Supporting Actor to Joel Grey.  

The Year of the Comedy?

The Dark Knight is destroying all of it's competition at the Box Office this summer, as it rightfully should be considering it is one of the greatest and smartest summer blockbusters ever made.  Yep, I said it.  But believe it or not there are also some other films that have come out this year or are coming out this year that are believed to generate some serious revenue... and a lot of them are comedies.  The Judd Apatow crew has, for better or for worse, changed the face of modern movie comedies and they keep having hit after hit.  I loved last years surprise hits Knocked Up and Super Bad and I was looking forward to seeing what the team could come up with this year.  They have already released the critically acclaimed mini-hit Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which I have yet to see.  And this weekend they have opened the stoner violent comedy Pineapple Express to some mixed reviews, but the box office will be great (though reports indicate that The Dark Knight looks like it will come on top again bringing its domestic haul to 441 million dollars...JESUS!).  I'm not sure if the Apatow gang has another other films up it's sleeve for the rest of the year (I haven't done that much research as of yet), but its safe to say that they will continue to be able to make pretty much anything that they want for a long time to come.  Even though their films are filled with goofy pot loving morons, they are sweet and honest and at times so much more intelligent and in touch with the current generation than other dreck that passes for comedy these days.  

But we don't just have Apatow comedies to look forward to this year.  No, by summers end two more certain to be hits will have landed.  The first being the Ben Stiller directed war movie send up comedy Tropic Thunder.  Tropic Thunder's early buzz has been mostly positive with some even going as far as saying that Robert Downey Jr. deserves an Oscar nomination for his role as an Australian actor who undergoes a pigmentation surgery in order to play a black soldier.  The premise for that character alone is enough to get me to buy a ticket (I plan on going to the midnight screening, something I mostly only do for huge event films, Like the Dark Knight).

 The other film that hits late this August is the Sundance hit Hamlet 2.  This is the film I am really looking forward to.  It looks hysterical and it has been a while since a good film has come out that mocks theater in a loving fashion.  And since this one is so obviously mocking musical theater, my personal passion, you can bet that I will be there on opening night to take it all in.  With a song like "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" how could you not want to see this film?

I love that these films are coming out just before Oscar season really hits.  It will be a great comedic prelude to all the seriousness we will have to sit through this fall and early winter. So my question remains... is this the year of the comedy? If we take the Dark Knight out of the equation could these films become the top money makers for the year?  Certainly not individually, but when pooled together it might become clear that the comedy is back in considerably late fashion.  Or I could just be full of shit.  We shall see once the box office receipts come in.

Song of the Day: Life Support #1

So I missed yesterday's song of the day because I was pulling a double at work and by the time I got home the last thought I had was updating the blog.  I have a feeling this may happen more often than not by the time school starts up again in September, but I'll do my best to make sure I get these up here because I do enjoy doing it.  Today's song comes from a show that I do not particularly like.  Much of my dislike from the show comes from how overly loved and worshiped it is.  I also despise it because every musical theater fan in my age group either points to this and Wicked as their favorite show and I'm sorry if that's the best you can come up with... well just shame on you.  There is much better theater out there.  I will give Rent some credit, however, because at the time of its release it was groundbreaking.  It's music spoke to a generation of New Yorkers dealing with the AIDS crisis, homelessness, drugs, and untimely artistic ambitions.  It's music was powerful and a real first for Broadway at the time.  I always point to Rent as the ultimate downfall of the Broadway musical and why we are constantly barraged with so called"rock" musicals all the time now.  But back in 1996 Rent was a masterpiece in it's own right and it rightfully won the Pulitzer for Drama.  The film, which this clip comes from, is a train wreck.  It tried to use as much of the original cast as possible, which was a huge mistake considering they were all about 10 years too old for the part.  Couple this with Chris Columbus's uninspired and pedestrian direction plus the fact that the film was not even shot it in New York, what you end up with is a pretty ho-hum musical.  And a film version of Rent should have been anything but Ho-Hum.  Still this clip in particular is pretty moving and does capture the spirit of the original show.  Enjoy.

Song of the Day: The Impossible Dream

I love this song.  It has a special place in my heart and every time I hear it I get emotional.  For me it represents exactly why I am doing musical theater and speaks to me on a very personal level.  The show itself I'm not fond of, though it does have at least three or  four more songs worth listening to.  But this song is a show tune masterpiece and Brian Stokes Mitchell does it better than just about anyone else that I have heard.  So here is The Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha.  Enjoy.

Song of the Day: Simple Little Things

Here is a song from 110 in the Shade which was written by the same people who brought us The Fantastiks.  I find this to be a much superior score and this song in particular to be one of the most beautiful and emotional ballads to ever be put on Broadway.  Here we have the always amazing Audra McDonald providing the vocals.  This clip is from her performance on The View, but a warning - the editors go nuts with their constant cross fades and switching to different angles.  But still the performance and vocals are impeccable.  enjoy.

In Bruges

In Bruges is a deliciously black comedy that is reminiscent of Pulp Fiction and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but has it's own unique charm, values and quirky dialogue to set it apart from other dark comedic crime pieces. It start Colin Farrell as a hitman who botched his first hit by accidentally killing a kid and he has now been sent away to the city of Bruges for a sort of twisted vacation. His partner in crime is played by Brendan Gleeson who is an experienced and educated gangster. He is much older and more weary of the world, but he is also a caring and fascinating individual. To put it simply these are two of the best performances that either one of these men have ever given. Gleeson is a great veteran character actor who only gets better with age and you may remember him from 28 Days Later, Braveheart, and the Harry Potter films to name only a few. Farrell is an actor I have never really been fond of but I have given him credit on a couple different occasions when I felt he deserved it most notably for his breakout film Tigerland and his one man showcase Phone Booth. Here Farrell is more relaxed than he has ever been in a role and he is charming and funny, but also surprisingly emotional. He brings great depth to a haunted and suicidal character.

The writing is what makes In Bruges quite special. It does not follow any specific formula and seldom if ever goes down a path that could have been predicted. It's dialogue is sharp, vulgar, but also quite comic. It is easily a script that could have taken itself very seriously, but in the hands of such great actors it springs to life vividly on the screen. In Bruges is at once a comedy, a crime story, a character study, and a piece on moral ambiguities. There is no real villain here and each of the people in the film have morals and principals. Even the supporting players are thief's, drug dealers, or in one case a drug addicted midget. But you come to care for these people because of how human they all really seem. The film was written and directed by famous playwright Martin McDonagh who is considered to be on the leading theater writers today. He has written such plays as The Pillowman and Lieutenant of an Inishmore. He has already won an Academy Award for his short film Six Shooter and this is his debut feature film. And it is quite a debut. McDonagh claims that most of his major influences come from film instead of the stage and they include Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, David Lynch and Terrence Malick. You can see pieces of each these men in the film, but McDonagh manages to have his own unique voice and style. He really knows how to tell and intriguing story. In Bruges's script is honestly one of the funniest and most original put on the screen in quite a long time.

And Last but not least props must be given to Ralph Fiennes, for his brief but completely memorable role as Harry the employer that shows up to off Farrell. He gives a ferocious performance and the way he uses vulgarity is altogether unique and inspired. He has some of the funniest scenes and lines in the movie although much of them are filled with violent carnage. His character alone could have its own spin-off film. In Bruges is one of the best films of the year so far and I will surly remember it come years end as there is guaranteed to not be a film even close to the originality of this one.

Song of the Day: There Once was a Man

Today's song of the day is certainly an improvement over yesterdays.  The Pajama Game is a classic musical and this scene in particular is rather famous.  It is also a scene that I would kill to do.  Perhaps this year in workshop...hmmmmm?  Enjoy.

Brideshead Revisited

There are two inspired performances in the center of this uneven and misguided motion picture.  The first is that of the great Emma Thompson who plays Lady Marchmain.  She is a strict catholic woman who has been deemed a saint by her priest.  She believes that life revolves around god's will and essentially the film is about her corruption of her children and their ultimate downfall because of their Catholic faith.  Thompson plays that lady in question perfectly with quiet understated authority.  It's one of the best roles she's had in years, and it's a shame really because the film does not give her nearly enough screen time, though Thompson can say more with a simple stare than anymore pages of dialogue would have ever given her.  If the film would have relied on her a bit more, perhaps it would have seemed more even handed, or perhaps not.  The other performance of note in the film is that of Ben Whishaw playing Sebastian Flyte, the Lady's son.  Sebastian happens to be a homosexual and a rather flamboyant one at that, but is constantly reprimanded for his actions by his over protective mother.  Sebastian's flamboyant demeanor is all show as throughout the course of the film we come to realize he is a tortured individual battling many demons, the worst of which is his mother.  Whishaw gives the character a sympathetic and believable arc.  He starts the picture as a typical gay character and at first we believe him to be playing a caricature, but that's really the point.  He plays the part of his elegant lifestyle.  But as the film progresses and we begin to see the inner struggles of Sebastian we begin to care for him even as he drowns himself in alcohol eventually turning him into an emotional and physical cripple.  Whishaw's performance is possibly the most complex in the film  and he pulls it off marvelously.  The main problem with Brideshead Revisited comes once Sebastian has left the screen... you are left with no one to care about.  The lead character certainly leaves something to be desired as Charles Ryder, played by Mathew Goode, is simply a passive observer in all of these strange events.  He falls in love with Sebastian's sister, though Sebastian himself is in love with Charles.  Charles uses this people to live a life that he has never known, and by the time the third act roles around and Charles has found his own wealth, I was left wondering... why bother?  The story I was interested in was over because the only person I cared about in the film had left long ago.  

The beginning of Brideshead Revisted moves along at incredible speed as if the film isn't sure of itself and simply wants to get to the "meat" of the story.  It's a clumsy first act, we meet people who are never fully explained and this disappear for the rest of the picture.  The editing is fast and often times abrupt.  And the score gets in the way quite often as we are supposed to be feeling one thing, but the music is telling us something different entirely.  That being said, the second act of Brideshead is phenomenally well done and its a shame that the rest of the picture couldn't have been as intriguing.  Goode does a decent job with his character and whats been given to him on the page, but unfortunately the character is simply unlikeable.  We never really get to know him even though we spend the entire films running time beside Charles.  The ending of the film really plays up the religious angle, but at the end I was left wondering what the point of it all was.  The children's lives are essentially destroyed because of their mothers religious beliefs that she instilled in them from birth, but the end of the film seems to suggest that Charles himself may have ended up finding God.  Or, that at least there was some kind of understanding between him and the religion that killed his friendships and relationship.  It's all a big mixed bag at the end of the film, with no clear message or reasoning.  What exactly becomes of Charles Ryder?  We never find out and that is the films ultimate flaw.  It wants us to care for an individual who essentially has no personality or desires worth mentioning.  Does he love Sebastian's sister, or does he just love Brideshead?  Perhaps there are no answers.  Brideshead Revisited is worth seeing for the two performances mentioned at the beginning of the post and for the films visually arresting and perfectly paced second act.  The rest of the film is forgettable, which is a shame really because there was great talent involved.